What would be the best way to record a 3 piece drum kit?

[BBlack]

My drum kit is very minimal - just a snare, kick, floor tom, crash, and hi-hat. I'm looking into recording, and just wanted to know what the best method would be to record this setup. The crash is on the right side next to the kick, and everything else is set up like your average drum kit. I was just curious as to how all you veteran recorder-men would go about something as simple as this.

Thanks

 

[jedblue]

Google the Glyn Johns drum mic technique or recorderman technique.

 

[ez_willis]

if you have four channels to use, go with a kick, snare, and these two:

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[grimtraveller]

^^^^^^^^^^ What e said {}
With a minimalist set up this or Glyn Johns' set up and you're laughing. If your room has the space and you feel experimental, a dynamic or condenser about 10 feet away from the front of the kit, about waist height and slightly pointing down towards the kick but below cymbal height might yield you something useable.

 

[Bguzaldo]

One overhead, one near the kick drum, and one under the snare. Go old school!

 

[miroslav]

An interesting 1 or 3 mic setup that I stumbled onto when I was setting up my M/S overhead pair...
...is to either just put up a single OH mic in figure-8 pattern, and try the figure 8 in both north/south and east/west directions, whatever gives you the better "shape" of your kit, depending on its size...
...then if you need it, add spot mics on either Snare or Kick or both.

Keep the figure 8 mic right over the drummer's knee and not too high, maybe just 3' above the Snare, that way the kit will feel wider, especially if you face the figure 8 in an east/west direction.

 

[Ronan]

Aside from not having a rack tom this seems pretty normal.

I would have to hear the music and hear you play to make detailed decisions but I would probably start with kick, snare, stereo overheads and a room mic and then if needed reinforce the hat and floor tom.

 

[moresound]

In a large room with low red colored flashing lights and orange blossom incense burning in every corner while sipping on thirty year old scotch.

Joking today but it seamed like a good idea for last weeks session.

You can't go wrong with the post that ez has with the video explaining Recorderman technique.

 

[Uhdinator]

Here's and example of a live gig I did with the kit consisting of
Kick, snare, floor tom, ride cym and Hi hat.

One overhead mic (Audix ADX51)
One Kick mic ( Beta 52 )

Kick was open/no front head and did not sound great
So I used a Plug-in to replace kick (Drumogog)

no EQ was used on the over head just a little aural exciter plug in (30% mix) to add a little air in the upper harmonics, and EMT140 short plate Altiverb plug in (25 % inserted on that track).


Thought it came out good, even if my mixing is not perfect.